15
Street roots
Aug. 19, 2011
Staying strong this summer depends on you
S
Don’t let the fog cloud our
path ahead toward change
bout this time in the last presidential election
cycle we were building up to Barack Obama’s
famous push for the presidency with slogans such
as “Change we can believe in,” and “Yes we can.” It
didn t take long to realize that collectively as a
community, a country, that the road ahead was much
more of a challenge.
Since that time the president has worked to create
change in health care, transportation and on other
domestic fronts. But he has also continued to be a war
president and has not stood
up for many poor and
It's more important
working people,
than ever to stick
disillusioning many of the
together and to
people that lined up to
continue to push for
support him.
change, to not let the
But like so many other
fog of politics make ns times in the history of our
jaded and cynical over country and the world, the
people that helped elect a
the very real issues of
great leader took a
poverty and violence
collective breath, and in
that exist in our own
many ways expected that
neighborhoods.
change to come swiftly. It
doesn’t It won’t But to act
like there’s nothing left but the finger-pointing is turning
our backs on our own responsibility. Despite the pall of
this economy, the uncertainty of unemployment and the
constant distraction of petty politics, it’s the people
themselves that do have the power to change the world
around us. But we can also be our own worst enemy.
It’s more important than ever to stick together and to
treet Roots is asking for your help this
summer to support the organization
for our annual Summer Fund Drive.
The newspaper and the vendor program
has become a leading voice in, the Portland
region on homeless and housing issues. To
. continue our work, we
need your support!
W E C K M rS
“Street Roots is
playing a catalytic role
in affordable housing
policy at the city
B y Israel Bayer
level. They have
stepped into the
leadership role and
are bringing new
voices, new partners, new energy and new
ideas together in really exciting ways,” says
Janet Byrd with Neighborhood
Partnerships.
When you support Street Roots you are
supporting a small organization that packs a
very strong punch. We publish 26 editions
of Street Roots with award-winning
journalism and commentary.
Each year, we engage more than 500
people experiencing homelessness and
poverty to gain immediate income to help
both prevent and end people’s
homelessness, while building self-esteem
and self-worth to become productive
members of our community.
We distribute more than 100,000 Rose
■
TORE
DESK
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots.You can
reach him at
streetroots@hotmail.com.
LETTERS
Due credit on Vial of Life project
hank you, Street Roots and Stacy
Brownhill, for the excellent article,
“Life on the Line” in your July 8 issue.
I would like to note
■
th a t th e one p e rso n
"makeus jaded and cynical over th e very real issues of
poverty and violence that exist in our own
neighborhoods. To do so is to ignore the heat coming
from under the pan.
Instead of getting real solutions from our elected
representatives, we too often are simply the weary
spectators as one political interest volleys the issue to
another, and back again, around and around.
What happened to thè “we” from “Yes we can?”
Each day at Street Roots we see people who have
nothing, literally, work together to make it through each
day. Their resilience gives us something to believe in -
there is love, laughter, and yes, hope.
Together, as a community and a country, we must
muster that same attitude towards changing the world
around us. It takes time, more than any of us would like,
but with the right support, and political will we can
create an atmosphere that does foster change.
We know how to win the battles, but it is the larger
war that will be our undoing: cuts to services for the
poor and unemployed, losses in jobs training, cuts to
education, food and shelter programs, and on and on.
Facing those realities, it will take more than creating a
Facebook page for change, or writing a blog or penning
an editorial in a newspaper. It will take sacrifice and
speaking out of turn. It will take organizing friends and
family, neighbors and others to become politically active.
It will take challenging unjust laws. It will take civil
disobedience.
,
Cesar Chavez once said, “From the depth of need and
despair, people can work together, can organize
themselves to solve their own problems and fill their
own needs with dignity and strength.”
He also said, “We must confront the P^vdeged.elite
who have destroyed a large part of the world. 1 hat
means speaking out of turn in our own lives. That means
challenging the status quo, both individually and
collectively.
STR EET ROOTS’ EDITORIAL BOARD
The views expressed in the editorials in Street Roots are the consensus of
members of the editorial board and contributing volunteers.
City Resource Guides annually to more than
170 organizations and institutions that
interface with people experiencing,
homelessness. The 104-page guide is the
more extensive list of services in the region
and is used by homeless providers,
government agencies, emergency first
responders, and law enforcement
During these shaky economic times, the
work of Street Roots is more important
than ever. We offer a way for people
experiencing homelessness and poverty to
gain a hand up and not a hand out, while
presenting readers with some of the best
news and commentary the city has to offer.
We aren’t asking for a lot: anything helps. If
you could give five cups a coffee a month,
or a $10 recurring donation on-line at www.
streetroots.org, or send a modest check
(211 NW Davis, 97209), we will continue to
create income opportunities for people
experiencing homelessness and poverty by
producing a newspaper and other media
that are catalysts for individual and social
change.
SR is a mission driven organization that
is reaching 12,000 to 15,000 readers every
two, weeks. We appreciate your
consideration and support. Making us
strong means making Portland strong on a
range of social issues that matter. Thank
you.
n o t m e n t i o n e d in t h i s
WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
Send letters to the
editor to the Street
Roots office, 211
NW Davis St.,
Portland, OR 97209,
or e-mailed to
streetrootsnews®
gmail.com.
article who did so
much to make the
Vial Of Life program
a success at the
Downtown Chapel, is
Elizabeth Lien, RN
and Parish Nurse.
Because of her
diligent and caring
work, she was able to
find the red pouches
that contain the
pertinent information
carried by those
without permanent shelter.
Thanks to Elizabeth and her work for
obtaining these pouches and also a BIG
thank you to Providence Medical Systems
for their continued financial support for
these projects through the Parish Nurse
Ministries.
SHARON CHRISTENSON, RN
Parish Nurse, Downtown Chapel
Vendor helps out in a pinch
ust wanted to take a few minutes to tell
you how great your members are. I was
obviously struggling with my bags of
veggies when one of your team members
(had a cap on, long hair, thin man) actually
recognized that I was having issues (while
all the business people walked by just
staring at me fumbling) and asked if I
needed help. Hell yes, I needed help!
Besides my bags slipping, I was pretty darn
sure my skirt was gonna slip off!
I didn’t get his name but I wanted to
make sure he knew how thankful I am. I’m
a longtime Portland resident and buy
Street Roots when I see your team
members’ downtown where I currently live.
Thanks for bringing some kindness into
the day!
J
O o lig a n s to o d o u t
By Jay Thiem eyer
the ooligan stood out
against the flow
of trafficking visitors
from another state or
planet, luxury cruisers like tanks
moving down the insects of the West
with full frontal nudity
the insects died
the tourists trapsed
an assault on everything
else but themselves
laid bare in their lack of discretion
firm in their triple A direction
there was a bond among them
their grills were all the same
a melt of insects’ bodies
their hard bodies
burned beyond recognition
as though fallen from the Empire -
State Building onto a hot June pavement
the ooligan stood'
against the flow
and when his ride approached, he
took his time
walking on the shoulder
of an interstate indistinguishable
from any number
of others in that country
he had seen
to the ride, whose door opened
like it was family
CARRIE FUENTES
Portland
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